It's a tragedy when a member of your family becomes addicted to drugs because drugs can become more important than you. This is not the time to abandon your family in trouble, but it is also not the time to enable them.

Enabling is helping or excusing the drug-seeking behavior in any way, shape, or form. For example, if you have a family member who pops pain killers you may rationalize that they are in pain, they need the pills. The problem is, you know they don't need those pills and you're allowing them to continue that addiction, even helping.

It's important to be there for a loved one but you cannot let yourself get dragged down too. By being there for a loved one you cannot let love cloud your own needs. You cannot spend all your money bailing the person out of jail when you need to eat. You cannot spend all of your time baby sitting to make sure they don't do anything stupid when you have a life to lead of your own. Don't lose yourself in trying to help someone else.